Text of Senator Charles Schumer's Letter to Ann Veneman United States Department of Agriculture

The Honorable Ann Veneman
United States Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Avenue
Washington, DC 20250

Dear Secretary Veneman:

I am writing today to respectfully ask that the USDA seek emergency funds for fighting Asian Longhorned Beetles. These beetles have attacked over 6,600 trees in New York City and Long Island and it is essential that New York gets at least as much money - $34 million - to fight Asian Longhorned Beetles as it did last year.

As you know, in FY 2002, when the USDA spent $49.5 million nationally on Asian Longhorned Beetle programs, $14.6 million were emergency funds provided through the USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation. New York State received a total of $34 million - with more than two thirds of that going to New York City. For FY 2003, only $26.2 has been appropriated for Asian Longhorned Beetle programs so far - almost $8 million less for the entire country than New York alone got last year. Unless emergency funds are distributed, it will be impossible for New York to get as much money to fight the beetles this year as it received last year - endangering thousands of trees now at risk.

It is my understanding that the Secretary of Agriculture must formally request these funds from the Office of Management and Budget, and I respectfully ask that you make that request as soon as possible. I also respectfully ask that you seek a waiver of the usual 30 percent state-and-local match for the emergency funds, because both New York City and New York State are experiencing an acute fiscal crisis.

In the past, the USDA has made these emergency funds available to New York to fight Asian Longhorned Beetles, and this year's infestation certainly qualifies as an emergency. Thank you for your prompt consideration of this request.

Sincerely,
Charles E. Schumer
United States Senator